Google pitted itself versus smart home rival Amazon and hardware newcomer Facebook with the launch of a new Home Hub, which it unveiled slantingly a new Pixel smartphone with beefed up camera and software capabilities.
The new $149 Home Hub features a 7-inch exhibit and is the company’s wordplay to Amazon’s Echo Show and Facebook’s recently launched Portal device, creating a trio of smart screens vying for space on consumers’ countertops.
Integration with Google Assistant ways Home Hub users will be worldly-wise to use voice controls to navigate Google services including search; YouTube; Google Photos; calendar; and maps, with responses displayed on screen. The device will moreover come with compatibility for music services including Spotify, Pandora and iHeartRadio, withal with a new smart home dashboard which lets users tenancy all the unfluctuating devices in their home.
But, unlike the competition, Google decided to forego camera capabilities, citing privacy concerns among users.
“We consciously decided to not include a camera on Google Home Hub, so you finger well-appointed placing it in the private spaces of your home, like the bedroom,” the visitor explained in a blog post.
Pretty as a Pixel
It seems Google instead wrinkled that energy into an updated camera on its new 5.5-inch Pixel 3 and 6.3-inch Pixel 3 XL smartphones.
While the phones retain a single 12.2MP rear camera, the visitor widow a second front 8MP camera with a wide wile lens to create a broader field of view for group selfies. It moreover introduced a slew of camera software upgrades including Super Res Zoom to produce largest detail in zoomed-in shots, and Night Sight to modernize colour and splendor in low-light images without a flash.
Other updates to the Pixel include the introduction of new strained intelligence features from Google Assistant, including the worthiness to screen calls. Now, when users get calls from unknown numbers they can opt to have Google Assistant wordplay the undeniability for them to ask who is calling and why surpassing deciding to pick up. A transcript of the mart will towards on Pixel’s screen in real time.
Google moreover launched a new wireless charging dock for Pixel ($79), which substantially turns the phone into a Home Hub with the worthiness to wordplay questions, and play videos and music via Google Assistant.
The Pixel 3 and 3 XL will come in three variegated colors: white, woebegone and light pink. Pixel 3 pricing starts at $799 and 3 XL $899 with a storage configuration of 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage.
As before, Verizon will be the sole US operator partner for Pixel 3, though Google will moreover offer an unlocked version of the phone.
Tablet
Google rounded out its launch event with the introduction of Pixel Slate, its first tablet to run on Chrome OS instead of Android.
The new two-in-one features a 12.3-inch display; a wide wile selfie camera; front facing speakers; and a detachable backlit keyboard (sold separately for $199). Slate comes with four variegated memory and RAM configurations at price points ranging from $599 to $1,599.